The sewing of large panels of material often involves manual manipulation by an operator. For example, when sewing a flange onto bedding panels having a predetermined size and straight edges, a high level of skill and attention is required by the operator during sewing and manipulation of the panel along each side. To reduce the amount of operator attention required during sewing, some panels are sewn using automated methods.
One problem with automated sewing machinery is ensuring that panels may be automatically sewn with a consistent corner radius and straight edges. For example, some automated sewing machines follow the cut edge of a work panel, and therefore do not automatically produce straight sewn edges when the sides of a panel are not cut along a straight line. Further, if the automatic turning of a work panel is not accurate, the finished work panel may be sewn with varying corner angles, creating a trapezoid-shaped panel. In addition to straight edges and consistent corner turns, it is also important that a panel may be manipulated and turned during sewing with minimal operator intervention.
Accordingly, a need exists for an automated flanging system that automatically sews a flange onto panels having a consistent corner radius and straight edges, with minimal operator intervention, which addresses the foregoing and other problems.